Container device and container box

ABSTRACT

A container box for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the cassette having side guides movable according to a size of a sheet stored therebetween, includes bottom and upper flaps and side surface portions. An upper flap is foldable along a first axis located along an upper edge of a side surface portion and including a first flap foldable along a second axis parallel to the first axis, and a second flap on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third axis parallel to the second axis. When the cassette is stored in the box and the upper flaps are closed, an edge of the first flap presses the cassette to suppress vertical movement of the cassette within the box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the cassette within the box.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)

This application is based upon and claims the benefit of priority from Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-069380, filed Apr. 20, 2022, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD

Embodiments described herein relate generally to a container device and a container box.

BACKGROUND

A sheet feed cassette is one of the components of an image forming apparatus. The sheet feed cassette includes a cassette module, an envelope cassette, and the like. The sheet feed cassette accommodates a sheet or an envelope (hereinafter also referred to as a sheet) on which an image is to be formed. The sheet feed cassette has a sheet guide for positioning the sheet.

Conventionally, when the sheet feed cassette is shipped with a container box, a cushioning material is disposed between the sheet feed cassette and the container box. Since the sheet guide of the sheet feed cassette is detachable therefrom, the sheet guide is secured to the sheet feed cassette using a tape during transportation. However, when the adhesive force is lowered or the tape is lifted or peeled off due to vibration or impact during transportation, the sheet guide may be disengaged and damaged.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments provide a container box and a container device for transporting a sheet feed cassette in which a sheet guide is unlikely to come off or be damaged.

In one embodiment, a container box for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the sheet feed cassette having a pair of side guides that is movable according to a size of a sheet that is stored therebetween, includes a plurality of bottom flaps that form a bottom surface of the container box, a plurality of upper flaps that form an upper surface of the container box, and a plurality of side surface portions each connected to a corresponding one of the bottom flaps and a corresponding one of the upper flaps and forming a side surface of the container box. One of the upper flaps is foldable along a first folding axis that is located along an upper edge of one of the side surface portions and includes: a first flap foldable along a second folding axis that is parallel to the first folding axis, and a second flap that is on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third folding axis that is parallel to the second folding axis. When the sheet feed cassette is stored in the container box and the upper flaps are closed to enclose the sheet feed cassette in the container box, an edge of the first flap presses the sheet feed cassette against the bottom surface of the container box to suppress vertical movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet feed cassette and a container device in a state before the sheet feed cassette is packed.

FIG. 2 is a view illustrating a sheet member before assembly of a container box.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the container box in which a bottom surface portion thereof is closed.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the container box in which an upper inner flap is half-closed and a lift prevention portion and a movement prevention portion are folded.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the upper inner flap fully closed.

FIG. 6 shows a positional relationship between the upper inner flap and the sheet feed cassette shown in FIG. 4 .

FIG. 7 shows a positional relationship between the upper inner flap and the sheet feed cassette shown in FIG. 5 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hereinafter, a container device 1 according to an embodiment for packaging a sheet feed cassette 50 of an image forming apparatus will be described with reference to the drawings. The image forming device is, for example, a multifunction peripheral, in other words, an MFP (Multi Function Peripheral).

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the sheet feed cassette 50 and the container device 1 before the sheet feed cassette 50 is packed. The container device 1 includes a container box 10 that is assembled from a single sheet member, and cushioning materials 61, 62, 63, and 64 that are disposed at four corners of the upper side and the lower side of the container box 10 and hold the sheet feed cassette 50.

First, the sheet feed cassette 50 will be described. The sheet feed cassette 50 is a device that is mounted on an image forming apparatus and accommodates a sheet on which an image is to be formed. The sheet feed cassette 50 has a sheet guide for positioning the sheet. The sheet guide includes a pair of side guides 51 that are moved closer to and separated from each other in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction in accordance with the sheet size for positioning the sheet accommodated in the sheet feed cassette 50. The sheet guide further includes an end guide 55 that is installed at a rear end position of the sheet in the sheet feeding direction.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 6 and 7 in addition to FIG. 1 , the pair of side guides 51 includes a pair of rear guide walls 52 and a pair of front guide walls 53. Here, the rear side and the front side mean a positional relationship in a state where the sheet feed cassette 50 is attached to the image forming apparatus. The pair of rear-side guide walls 52 and the pair of front guide walls 53 are connected via a gear mechanism (not shown) in order to position the sheet accommodated in the sheet feed cassette 50 at the center in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction. The gear mechanism is, for example, a mechanism using a rack and pinion. For example, a pair of racks opposed to each other are engaged with each other via one pinion.

An operation unit 54 for adjusting the distance between the pair of side guides 51 is provided on one of the pair of front guide walls 53 (e.g., the front guide wall 53 on the right side in FIG. 1 ). By operating the operation unit 54, the pair of rear-side guide walls 52 and the pair of front guide walls 53 are moved closer to each other and separated from each other in a direction orthogonal to the sheet feeding direction.

On the other hand, the end guide 55 is fitted into a groove extending in the sheet feeding direction at the bottom of the sheet feed cassette 50, for example, and is positioned by a click mechanism. At the time of packing, the end guide 55 is taped to the sheet feed cassette 50 while being attached to or removed from the sheet feed cassette 50.

Since the end guide 55 is a simple structure, even when the end guide 55 is packaged while being attached to the sheet feed cassette 50, there is little possibility that the end guide 55 will be damaged during transportation of the sheet feed cassette 50.

On the other hand, the pair of side guides 51 and the gear mechanism that connects the pair of side guides 51 have complicated structures. Therefore, there is a concern that the pair of side guides 51 and the gear mechanism connecting the pair of side guides 51 may be damaged during transportation of the sheet feed cassette 50.

The container box 10 has four side surface portions 11, 12, 13, and 14 that constitute the side surfaces of the container box 10. The container box 10 also includes a pair of bottom inner flaps 21 and 23 and bottom outer flaps 22 and 24 that form the bottom surface of the container box 10. In FIG. 1 , the bottom outer flaps 22 and 24 are not visible, so the symbols of the bottom outer flaps 22 and 24 are not shown.

The sheet feed cassette 50 is accommodated in the container box 10 together with the cushioning materials 61 to 64 with its opening for taking in and out a sheet upward. The sheet feed cassette 50 is held at the fixed position in the internal space of the container box 10 by the cushioning materials 61 to 64.

The container box 10 further includes a pair of upper inner flaps 31 and 33 and upper outer flaps 32 and 34 that form the upper surface of the container box 10. The pair of bottom inner flaps 21 and 23 and the pair of upper inner flaps 31 and 33 are folded inward to hold the cushioning materials 61 to 64 by sandwiching the cushioning materials 61 to 64 from above and below.

One of the pair of upper inner flaps 31 and 33 (e.g., the upper inner flap 31 on the right side in FIG. 1 ) has a lift prevention portion 41 and a movement prevention portion 42.

The lift prevention portion 41 is folded downward and contacts the bottom of the sheet feed cassette 50 on which a sheet is placed to prevent the sheet feed cassette 50 from lifting up. The movement prevention portion 42 is continuous from the lift prevention portion 41. The movement preventing portion 42 is folded toward the center of the bottom and disposed between the pair of side guides 51 to prevent the pair of side guides 51 from moving inward.

Next, with reference to FIG. 2 , the structure of a sheet member before assembly of the container box 10 will be described. FIG. 2 is a view showing the sheet member before assembly of the container box 10.

The sheet member of the container box 10 includes four continuous side surface portions 11, 12, 13, and 14 constituting the side surfaces of the container box 10, and an adhesive portion 15. The adhesive portion 15 is a portion which is continuous with the side surface portion 14 located at one end of the four side surface portions 11 to 14 in the arrangement direction of the four side surface portions 11 to 14, and is bonded to the side surface portion 11 located at the other end of the four side surface portions 11 to 14.

The sheet member of the container box 10 further includes a pair of bottom inner flaps 21 and 23 and a pair of bottom outer flaps 22 and 24 which are alternately continuous to the lower side of the four side surface portions 11 to 14 in a direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the four side surface portions 11 to 14. The pair of bottom inner flaps 21 and 23 and the pair of bottom outer flaps 22 and 24 are spaced apart from each other in the arrangement direction of the four side surface portions 11 to 14, with narrow slits.

That is, the bottom inner flap 21 is continuous with the side surface portion 11, the bottom outer flap 22 is continuous with the side surface portion 12, the bottom inner flap 23 is continuous with the side surface portion 13, and the bottom outer flap 24 is continuous with the side surface portion 14. In addition, the bottom inner flap 21 and the bottom outer flap 22, the bottom outer flap 22 and the bottom inner flap 23, and the bottom inner flap 23 and the bottom outer flap 24 are spaced apart from each other by a narrow slit.

The sheet member of the container box 10 further includes a pair of upper inner flaps 31 and 33 and a pair of upper outer flaps 32 and 34 which are alternately continuous to the upper side of the four side surface portions 11 to 14 in the direction orthogonal to the arrangement direction of the four side surface portions 11 to 14. The pair of upper inner flaps 31 and 33 and the pair of upper outer flaps 32 and 34 are spaced apart from each other in the arrangement direction of the four side surface portions 11 to 14 with narrow slits therebetween.

That is, the upper inner flap 31 is continuous with the side surface portion 11, the upper outer flap 32 is continuous with the side surface portion 12, the upper inner flap 33 is continuous with the side surface portion 13, and the upper outer flap 34 is continuous with the side surface portion 14. Further, the upper inner flap 31 and the upper outer flap 32, the upper outer flap 32 and the upper inner flap 33, and the upper inner flap 33 and the upper outer flap 34 are spaced apart from each other by a narrow slit.

The sheet member of the container box 10 further includes a lower extending portion 16 extending downward continuously from the adhesive portion 15, and an upper extending portion 17 extending upward continuously from the adhesive portion 15. The lower extending portion 16 is spaced apart from the bottom outer flap 24 by a narrow slit. Similarly, the upper extending portion 17 is spaced apart from the upper outer flap 34 by a narrow slit. The lower extending portion 16 and the upper extending portion 17 are to be folded back without being bonded to any surface portion.

Each of the side surface portions 11 to 14, the bottom inner flaps 21 and 23, the bottom outer flaps 22 and 24, the upper inner flap 33, the upper outer flaps 32 and 34, the adhesive portion 15, the bottom extending portion 16, and the upper extending portion 17 has a rectangular shape. On the other hand, the upper inner flap 31 does not have a rectangular shape because it has the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42.

The lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 are formed by cutting out a part of the upper inner flap 31. Specifically, the upper inner flap 31 before the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 are formed has a rectangular shape like the upper inner flap 33. A pair of narrow slits are formed in the upper inner flap 31 having a rectangular shape. Then, the flap 31 is cut along two parallel lines perpendicular to the upper edge of the flap 31 to a location of the folding axis of the lift prevention portion 41. Therefore, the upper side of the movement preventing portion 42 does not protrude upward from the upper side of the upper inner flap 33 and the upper outer flaps 32 and 34.

Lead ruled lines 25 are formed between the side surface portions 11 to 14 and the corresponding bottom inner flaps 21 and 23 and bottom outer flaps 22 and 24, and between the adhesive portion 15 and the lower extending portion 16 to facilitate folding of the sheet member of the container box 10. Further, lead ruled lines 35 are formed between the side surface portions 11 to 14 and the corresponding upper inner flaps 31 and 33 and the upper outer flaps 32 and 34, and between the adhesive portion 15 and the upper extending portion 17. Lead ruled lines 18 are also formed between the side surface portions 11 to 14. Further, a lead ruled line 43 is formed between the upper inner flap 31 and the lift prevention portion 41. Further, a lead ruled line 44 is formed between the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42.

For example, the sheet member of the container box 10 is a corrugated board sheet. As shown in the semicircle of FIG. 2 , the sheet member includes the grooves of the fluted inner sheet extending therein.

Next, the assembly of the container box 10 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 to 5 . FIG. 3 is a perspective view illustrating the exterior box 10 in which the bottom surface thereof is closed. In other words, FIG. 3 is a perspective view showing a state in which the sheet feed cassette 50 is ready to be accommodated. FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing the exterior box 10 in which the upper inner flap 31 is half-closed and the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 are folded. FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing the upper inner flap 31 fully closed.

For convenience, the sheet feed cassette 50 is not shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 . Furthermore, only the folding of the upper inner flap 31, the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 is shown.

Assembly from the state of FIG. 2 to the state of FIG. 3 is as follows. First, the side surface portions 11 to 14 and the adhesive portion 15 are folded along the lead ruled lines 18. Next, the adhesive portion 15 is bonded to the inside of the end portion of the side surface portion 11. Subsequently, the pair of bottom inner flaps 21 and 23 are folded by approximately 90 degrees inward along the lead ruled lines 25. Accordingly, the lower extending portion 16 is also folded inward by approximately 90 degrees. In addition, the pair of bottom outer flaps 22, 24 are folded approximately 90 degrees inwardly along the lead ruled lines 25 and the bottom outer flaps 22 and 24 are bonded to the bottom inner flaps 21 and 23. Further, the upper inner flaps 31 and 33 and the upper outer flaps 32 and 34 are folded by approximately 90 degrees outward along the lead ruled lines 35, so that the container box 10 with the closed bottom surface shown in FIG. 3 is formed.

After the sheet feed cassette 50 is accommodated in the container box 10 shown in FIG. 3 together with the cushioning materials 61 to 64, the upper inner flap 31 is folded inward as shown in FIG. 4 . In addition, the lift prevention portion 41 is folded downward, and the movement prevention portion 42 is folded upward to be directed toward the center of the container box 10. FIG. 6 shows the positional relationship between the upper inner flap 31 and the sheet feed cassette 50 corresponding to this state. In this state, the lift prevention portion 41 is not yet in contact with the bottom portion of the sheet feed cassette 50.

From the state of FIG. 4 , the upper inner flap 31 is further folded inward and finally folded inward approximately 90 degrees, as shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 7 shows the positional relationship between the upper inner flap 31 and the sheet feed cassette 50 corresponding to this state. In this state, the lift prevention unit 41 contacts the bottom of the sheet feed cassette 50 to prevent the sheet feed cassette 50 from lifting during transportation. The movement prevention portion 42 is continuous from the lift prevention portion 41. The movement preventing portion 42 is folded toward the center of the sheet feed cassette 50 and disposed between the pair of side guides 51 to prevent the pair of side guides 51 from moving inward.

Since the lift prevention unit 41 prevents the sheet feed cassette 50 from lifting, the pair of side guides 51 is prevented from being detached from the sheet feed cassette 50.

The pair of side guides 51 have a strong tendency to rapidly approach each other with respect to the sudden inclination of the container box 10 and the lateral placement of the container box 10 during transportation. This tends to cause breakage of the pair of side guides 51, in particular, breakage of the gear mechanism connecting the pair of side guides 51.

The pair of side guides 51 are held in the container box 10 in a state of being arranged at the interval corresponding to the width of the movement preventing portion 42. Since the movement preventing portion 42 is disposed between the pair of side guides 51 to prevent the pair of side guides 51 from approaching, that is, moving inward, breakage of the pair of side guides 51 and breakage of the gear mechanism connecting the pair of side guides 51 is prevented.

Although it is conceivable that the pair of side guides 51 move apart from each other due to vibration or impact during transportation, the movement is gentle and the movement stroke of the side guides 51 is large. Therefore, the pair of side guides 51 are spaced apart from each other to the maximum extent, and the pair of side guides 51 and the gear mechanism connecting the pair of side guides 51 are less likely to be damaged.

In the above-described example, the container device 1 having the container box 10 and the cushioning materials 61 to 64 has been described. Alternatively, the cushioning materials 61 to 64 may be omitted as long as the container box 10 is designed to have a particular size corresponding to the sheet feed cassette 50 to hold the sheet feed cassette 50 at a fixed position in the internal space of the container box 10.

As described above, the container box 10 and the container device 1 for transporting the sheet feed cassette 50 are likely to prevent the side guide 51 and the gear mechanism from being detached or damaged.

The lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 are formed by cutting out one upper inner flap (e.g., the upper inner flap 31 in the above-described example) of the sheet member used for assembling a conventional container box. Therefore, the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 can be formed without enlarging the size of the sheet member of the conventional container box.

Further, the container box 10 can be assembled by a simple folding operation along the lead ruled lines 18, 25, 35, 43, and 44. In addition, the container box 10 can be easily deployed and stacked on a flat surface even at the time of disposal. Since the lift prevention portion 41 and the movement prevention portion 42 are formed on the upper inner flap 31, there is no restriction on sealing, stacking, or the like of the container box 10.

While certain embodiments have been described, these embodiments have been presented by way of example only, and are not intended to limit the scope of the disclosure. Indeed, the novel embodiments described herein may be embodied in a variety of other forms; furthermore, various omissions, substitutions and changes in the form of the embodiments described herein may be made without departing from the spirit of the disclosure. The accompanying claims and their equivalents are intended to cover such forms or modifications as would fall within the scope and spirit of the disclosure. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A container box for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the sheet feed cassette having a pair of side guides that is movable according to a size of a sheet that is stored therebetween, the container box comprising: a plurality of bottom flaps that form a bottom surface of the container box; a plurality of upper flaps that form an upper surface of the container box; and a plurality of side surface portions each connected to a corresponding one of the bottom flaps and a corresponding one of the upper flaps and forming a side surface of the container box, wherein one of the upper flaps is foldable along a first folding axis that is located along an upper edge of one of the side surface portions and includes: a first flap foldable along a second folding axis that is parallel to the first folding axis, and a second flap that is on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third folding axis that is parallel to the second folding axis, and when the sheet feed cassette is stored in the container box and the upper flaps are closed to enclose the sheet feed cassette in the container box, an edge of the first flap presses the sheet feed cassette against the bottom surface of the container box to suppress vertical movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box.
 2. The container box according to claim 1, wherein the bottom flaps, the upper flaps, and the side surface portions are made from a single sheet member.
 3. The container box according to claim 2, wherein said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member has a pair of slits formed at an edge thereof.
 4. The container box according to claim 3, wherein the second flap is formed at a portion of said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member that is between the slits.
 5. The container box according to claim 4, wherein the first flap has a rectangular shape and is between the second flap and the second folding axis.
 6. The container box according to claim 5, wherein the second flap has a rectangular shape and the third folding axis defines a boundary between the first and second flaps.
 7. The container box according to claim 2, wherein the single sheet member is a corrugated board.
 8. The container box according to claim 1, further comprising: an adhesive portion on one of the side surface portions and attached to another side surface portion.
 9. The container box according to claim 8, further comprising: an upper extending portion protruding from one of opposite sides of the adhesive portion not connected to said one of the side surface portions and contacting a corresponding one of the upper flaps; and a lower extending portion protruding from the other of the opposite sides of the adhesive portion and contacting a corresponding one of the bottom flaps.
 10. The container box according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of slits between the upper flaps and between the bottom flaps.
 11. A container device for storing a sheet feed cassette for an image forming apparatus, the sheet feed cassette having a pair of side guides that is movable according to a size of a sheet that is stored therebetween, the container device comprising: a container box that includes: a plurality of bottom flaps that form a bottom surface of the box, a plurality of upper flaps that form an upper surface of the box, and a plurality of side surface portions each connected to a corresponding one of the bottom flaps and a corresponding one of the upper flaps and forming a side surface of the box; and a plurality of cushioning materials, wherein one of the upper flaps includes: one of the upper flaps is foldable along a first folding axis that is located along an upper edge of one of the side surface portions and includes: a first flap foldable along a second folding axis that is parallel to the first folding axis, and a second flap that is on the first flap to be foldable with the first flap and further foldable along a third folding axis that is parallel to the second folding axis, when the sheet feed cassette is stored in the container box and the upper flaps are closed to enclose the sheet feed cassette in the container box, an edge of the first flap presses the sheet feed cassette against the bottom surface of the container box to suppress vertical movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and the second flap is folded to suppress horizontal movement of the sheet feed cassette within the container box, and the cussing materials are between the sheet feed cassette and the side surfaces of the box.
 12. The container device according to claim 11, wherein the bottom flaps, the upper flaps, and the side surface portions are made from a single sheet member.
 13. The container device according to claim 12, wherein said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member has a pair of slits formed at an edge thereof.
 14. The container device according to claim 13, wherein the second flap is formed at a portion of said one of the upper flaps of the single sheet member that is between the slits.
 15. The container device according to claim 14, wherein the first flap has a rectangular shape and is between the second flap and the second folding axis.
 16. The container device according to claim 15, wherein the second flap has a rectangular shape and the third folding axis defines a boundary between the first and second flaps.
 17. The container device according to claim 12, wherein the single sheet member is a corrugated board.
 18. The container device according to claim 11, wherein the container box further includes an adhesive portion on one of the side surface portions and attached to another side surface portion.
 19. The container device according to claim 18, wherein the container box further includes: an upper extending portion protruding from one of opposite sides of the adhesive portion not connected to said one of the side surface portions and contacting a corresponding one of the upper flaps; and a lower extending portion protruding from the other of the opposite sides of the adhesive portion and contacting a corresponding one of the bottom flaps.
 20. The container device according to claim 11, wherein the container box further includes a plurality of slits between the upper flaps and between the bottom flaps. 